Common Errors

Common Errors
Common Error 12.1 Is the passive missing a form of be?

are
Camels used for transportation in the desert because they can survive without drinking water for a
^ time.
very long
REMEMBER: All passive sentences have a form of be + past participle.
ACTIVITY 4 Common Error 12.1

There is one incorrect passive form in each sentence. Underline and correct the incorrect passive form.
1. In 2015, more than 15,000 drones sold every month in the United States.
2. Many people think that consultants paid more than employees, but this is not always true.
3. More children left alone at home after school in the last decade because their parents have been busy
working.
4. Neuroscientists think that some Alzheimer’s patients’ memories can retrieved with a specific type of
brain stimulation.
5. Many mountainous areas have search and rescue teams that used to help hikers who get lost or hurt.
6. Engineers paid higher salaries than education professionals such as teachers or school counselors.
7. Children who praised at school often perform better than children who criticized.
8. For years, thousands of young people have arrived in Los Angeles every year with hopes to become
actors, but very few given the opportunities they need to succeed
9. Artificial food coloring added to farmed salmon to make it look like freshwater salmon.
10. House plants often die either because they not watered enough or they are overwatered.
Common Error 12.2 Is the passive form correct?

were robbed were broken
After Hurricane Katrina, many stores was rob and houses was broke into.
REMEMBER: Use the form of be or have/has that agrees with the subject of the sentence, and use
the past participle form of the verb.
164 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice
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Fill in the blanks with the correct passive forms of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Some genetic diseases (simple present: carry) from one

generation to the next, while others skip a generation.
2. In solar cells, sunlight (simple present: transform) into

electricity.
3. The migration of the monarch butterfly is so difficult and dangerous that many butterflies
(modal: can / lose) during each stage.
4. Parts of the Great Wall of China (present progressive: destroy)

gradually by sandstorms, and (modal: may / go) in under
20 years.
5. Studies show that original ideas (simple present: form)

in more than one part of the brain at the same time.
6. Hippocrates (simple present: know) as the father of modern

medicine because he was the first doctor to use science instead of magic to heal people.
7. Velcro (simple past: not / invent) deliberately but rather by

accident when a Swiss scientist noticed the structure of the burrs sticking to his clothes.
8. Some psychologists think that the millennial generation

(present perfect: give) too much praise over the years.
Common Error 12.3 Do you need passive or active voice?

were
The students recognized for their excellent work.
^
worked
They are worked at the laboratory until late at night.
REMEMBER: • Use the active voice if the subject of the sentence is doing the action. Use the passive
voice if the subject is receiving the action.
• Intransitive verbs do not have objects. Therefore, they cannot be used in the passive
voice.
Common Errors 165
Underline the verb forms that correctly complete the paragraphs.
1. One of the first places modern yoga (saw / was seen) in the West was at the
World’s Fair in the 1890s. It (was performed / performed) by an Indian named
Swami Vivekananda. The Swami also (gave / was given) a speech. In his speech, he
(was talked / talked) about world religions and a universal religion. Swami Vivekananda’s
presence at the World’s Fair (was / was been) the beginning of the popularity of yoga in
the United States.
2. Bacteria and other organisms (can be found / can find) living on every surface
in the world. One way biologists (are studied / study) bacteria is by using controlled
conditions. They take a sample and (are grown / grow) it in the laboratory. However,
some types of bacteria are actually invisible, so they (cannot be grown / cannot grow)
by biologists in controlled conditions. For this reason, it has been very difficult for
biologists to study these types of bacteria. However, recently a new method of DNA
sequencing (has been successfully used / has successfully used) to study this invisible
bacteria. Scientists (hope / are hoped) that this new method of studying invisible
bacteria will continue to reveal very useful information.
3. The Pacific Garbage Patch is a mass of plastic garbage that (has collected /
has been collected) together in the middle of the Pacific Ocean as an island of garbage.
It is a very big island. In fact, it (is estimated / estimated) to be the same size as the
United States. How was this “garbage island” (form / formed)? First, garbage (threw /
was thrown) into streams, rivers, and oceans. Then the garbage (picked up / was picked
up) by ocean currents and brought to this area. Many people (have tried / have been
tried) to figure out how to fix this problem, but so far there are no good solutions.
4. A new study (shows / is shown) that participating in sports activities while
studying at a college or university (can improve / can be improved) your grades. This
study (done / was done) in Spain. The grades of 3,671 students (were collected /
collected) over a period of approximately seven years. The students who (were participated /
participated) in sports achieved GPAs that were an average of nine points higher than
the students who (were not participated / did not participate) in sports.
Academic Vocabulary
Passive Verb Forms Frequently Used in Academic Writing
are based can be used is needed was reported were conducted

can be seen is known was made were asked were found
Source: Corpus of Contemporary American English (Davies 2008–)
ACTIVITY 7 Vocabulary in Academic Writing

Use the academic vocabulary in the passive forms given to complete the sentences. For some
sentences, more than one answer is possible.
Subject Area Example from Academic Writing
Food 1. Even though it that artificial sweeteners may cause
Sciences cancer, they are still widely used.
Health 2. According to recent studies, it is possible that coconut oil with added enzymes
Sciences
to prevent tooth decay.
Geology 3. There are many theories explaining why the dinosaurs became extinct, but more
information about the rocks deep below the earth’s
surface before scientists know for sure.
Biology 4. New studies to determine if sweat samples can give
doctors the same reliable information about people’s health as their blood samples.
Psychology 5. When parents about their children’s sleep patterns,
the information that they gave was usually different from the information the
scientists got.
Archaeology 6. Small pieces of wood attached to Neanderthal teeth
by archaeologists recently, leading them to conclude that Neanderthals might have
used toothpicks.
Government 7. After much discussion, a decision to focus on youth
and unemployment for the next five years.
Medicine 8. Many good doctors will tell you that their decisions
not only on science, but on intuition as well.
Sociology 9. The data on the average age of marriage among people born after 1985
in table 4.
Political 10. The election between the two candidates as a tie on
Science television, but that information was not correct.
Academic Vocabulary 167
Put It Together
ACTIVITY 8 Review Quiz
Multiple Choice Choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. In 1929, a global depression by the U.S. stock market crash.
a. were caused b. caused c. was caused d. was causing
2. Most parents have to ask their children repeatedly to help around the house, while some children are
happy to help their parents as soon as they .
a. are asked b. been asked not c. be asked d. were not asked
3. Many of Michelangelo’s paintings inspired by Greek and Roman myths.
a. are being b. were c. may be d. was
4. Traveling to other countries often people’s lives.
a. changes b. was changed c. were changed d. was changing
5. Antibiotics overused over the past few decades and as a result have caused the development
of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
a. was b. cannot be c. may not be d. have been
Error Correction One of the five underlined words or phrases is not correct. Find the
error and correct it. Be prepared to explain your answer.
6. Many people think the desert is always brown, but the flowers that are seen in the
desert after even just a very short rain shower often are changed the landscape into
a beautiful rainbow of colors.
7. For those who want to try home remedies, herbalists suggest that peppermint oil
be use instead of over-the-counter medications to soothe a sore throat.
8. All dogs enjoy going for walks in parks and on beaches, especially where leashes
are not require.
ACTIVITY 9 Building Greater Sentences
Combine these short sentences into one sentence. You can add new words and move words around,
but you should not add or omit any ideas. More than one answer is possible, but all of these sentences
require both the passive and the active voice.
1. a. Human sleep patterns are regulated by exposure to light.

b. Light is recognized by a part of the brain.
c. This part of the brain tells people that it is time to be awake.
2. a. There is a new material for making clothes.

b. This material is environmentally friendly.
c. This new material is made from mushrooms.
d. The clothes can be recycled and reused.
3. a. A healthy environment is necessary.

b. The environment should be protected.
c. Every country in the world should protect it.
Put It Together 169
ACTIVITY 10 Steps to Composing
Read the classification paragraph. Then follow the directions in the 10 steps to edit the information and
composition of this paragraph. Write your revised paragraph on a separate sheet of paper. Be careful with
capitalization and punctuation. Check your answers with the class.
CLASSIFICATION PARAGRAPH
Elements of an Effective Apology

1
Apologizing can be a difficult thing to do. 2 According to recent research,
an effective apology needs to contain various elements. 3 However, there are
two elements that people consider more important than all the others. 4 For an apology
to be effective, it should include an admission of responsibility. 5 Some people
apologize with an excuse for their action, saying for example,“I’m sorry, but I was tired,”
or “I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize you would be bothered by . . .” 6 In these apologies,
there is no blame or responsibility. 7 What is heard is only an excuse. 8 This type of
apology can make the offended person even more upset or angry. 9 Another element
that should be included in an effective apology is an offer to fix the situation. 10 Offering
to fix the situation shows that the apologizer has thought a lot about the offensive
behavior. 11 It also shows that the apologizer has thought a lot about the offended
person, too. 12 One common element of an apology that is not very helpful is to ask
for forgiveness, so that part can be omitted.
1. Add effectively to the end of sentence 1 to better define the paragraph topic.
2. Combine sentences 2 and 3. Change the period between element and However to a semi-colon.
3. In sentence 3, people (the agent) is not that important. Change people consider to are considered.
4. Start sentence 4 with First and a comma to emphasize that this is the first element.
5. In sentence 6, change there is no blame or responsibility to the passive form no blame or

responsibility is communicated.
6. In sentence 7, add or justification after excuse.
7. Start sentence 9 with Second and a comma to emphasize that this is the second element.
8. In sentence 10, change the subject to this to avoid repetition.
9. Sentences 10 and 11 have related ideas. Combine the sentences with and. Then delete
It also shows that the speaker has thought a lot about and too to avoid repetition.
10. Add both to the new combined sentence for emphasis.
ACTIVITY 11 Original Writing

On a separate sheet of paper, write a classification paragraph (at least six sentences) about a topic that
interests you. Explain what it is and give facts, details, and/or examples. Use at least one example of the
passive voice and underline it; try to use two if possible.
Here are some examples of how to begin.

• Most people have several different kinds of friends.
• An interesting presentation needs to include certain elements.
• Most people spend their vacation in one of three ways.
Put It Together 171

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Common Errors

Common Error 12.1 Is the passive missing a form of be?

REMEMBER: All passive sentences have a form of be + past participle.

ACTIVITY 4 Common Error 12.1

Common Error 12.2 Is the passive form correct?

164 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice

1. Some genetic diseases (simple present: carry) from one

2. In solar cells, sunlight (simple present: transform) into

4. Parts of the Great Wall of China (present progressive: destroy)

5. Studies show that original ideas (simple present: form)

6. Hippocrates (simple present: know) as the father of modern

7. Velcro (simple past: not / invent) deliberately but rather by

8. Some psychologists think that the millennial generation

Common Error 12.3 Do you need passive or active voice?

Common Errors 165

166 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice

Passive Verb Forms Frequently Used in Academic Writing

are based can be used is needed was reported were conducted

Source: Corpus of Contemporary American English (Davies 2008–)

ACTIVITY 7 Vocabulary in Academic Writing

Academic Vocabulary 167

ACTIVITY 8 Review Quiz

Multiple Choice Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. In 1929, a global depression by the U.S. stock market crash.

a. were caused b. caused c. was caused d. was causing

a. are asked b. been asked not c. be asked d. were not asked

3. Many of Michelangelo’s paintings inspired by Greek and Roman myths.

a. are being b. were c. may be d. was

4. Traveling to other countries often people’s lives.

a. changes b. was changed c. were changed d. was changing

a. was b. cannot be c. may not be d. have been

a beautiful rainbow of colors.

be use instead of over-the-counter medications to soothe a sore throat.

are not require.

168 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice

1. a. Human sleep patterns are regulated by exposure to light.

2. a. There is a new material for making clothes.

3. a. A healthy environment is necessary.

Put It Together 169

Elements of an Effective Apology

an effective apology needs to contain various elements. 3 However, there are

to be effective, it should include an admission of responsibility. 5 Some people

there is no blame or responsibility. 7 What is heard is only an excuse. 8 This type of

for forgiveness, so that part can be omitted.

5. In sentence 6, change there is no blame or responsibility to the passive form no blame or

6. In sentence 7, add or justification after excuse.

170 Unit 12 Using Passive Voice

10. Add both to the new combined sentence for emphasis.

ACTIVITY 11 Original Writing

Here are some examples of how to begin.

Put It Together 171

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REMEMBER: All passive sentences have a form of be + past participle.